Page 41 of The Book of Irish Secrets (Magnolia Manor #5)

THIRTY-TWO

Claire stood shivering in the chilly wind below the front steps of the manor waiting for Pierce to arrive.

While she waited, she looked up at the sky where the clouds scudded across the half-moon and the stars twinkled as if to send her a message.

Claire imagined that they wanted everything to end happily for her.

She felt good about the welcome her third cousins had given her, but now she felt unsure about what would happen with Pierce.

She had no idea why he wanted to see her but it had seemed both urgent and serious.

Was it something to do with Jo? Or his ex-wife?

Or was he going to tell her he never wanted to see her again?

She paced around on the gravel to keep warm, hoping he’d arrive soon. Then, there he was, driving his old wreck of a car, pulling up in front of her. She waved and smiled.

Pierce got out of the car and held the passenger door open. ‘Hi, there. Hop in before you freeze to death. Sorry I’m late. I couldn’t get this damn thing to start and then I realised I was nearly out of petrol so I had to fill her up on the way.’

‘Okay.’ Claire got in and Pierce slammed the door shut and started the car. ‘How are you?’

‘I’m fine,’ he said in a friendly tone that made her feel more hopeful. ‘How about you?’

‘I’m very well, thanks,’ she replied, feeling suddenly that she wanted to stay cool and unemotional, despite being anxious to tell him all her latest news.

But being with him like this, sitting so close, made her feel flustered.

She longed to touch him and smell that mixture of wool and soap and sea air that was so unique to him.

She crossed her fingers, hoping with all her heart that what he wanted to say to her would not be sad or upsetting.

This evening had been so full of emotion, and even though it had ended on a happy note, it had still been nerve wracking.

She didn’t think she could take much more.

They were silent as Pierce drove across the bridge and along the Strand.

He pulled up in front of a pub called the James Long.

‘Here we are,’ he said. ‘And as luck would have it, there is a parking space just a few feet away.’ He rolled forward and they parked.

Pierce switched off the engine and turned to face Claire.

‘Hi,’ he said and shot her a smile. ‘Don’t look so worried.

There hasn’t been an accident or anything.

It’s just… well, I needed to see you and tell you something.

But let’s go inside and get something to drink and we’ll talk about it. ’

‘No,’ Claire said and grabbed his arm. ‘I don’t want a drink and I don’t want to go inside where people might stare at us.

Can’t we stay here and talk instead? You’re driving so you can’t drink anything alcoholic.

I should have invited you up to my flat but that didn’t feel quite right.

The whole family is in the library, you see.

We had a meeting and I told them everything. ’

‘You did?’ Pierce looked at her in the dim light of the dashboard. ‘How did they take it?’

‘They were stunned, of course, and stared at me as if I were from another planet. But then, when I told them the story, they began to take it in and then we had such a great, happy time celebrating the two families getting together. Strangely, they didn’t have a problem with me lying to them all this time.

They seemed to understand why I had to do it.

And Sylvia had those final pieces of the puzzle about the feud.

’ Claire paused for a moment, willing him to be as understanding as they had been.

‘I’m so relieved for you, Claire.’ He paused for a moment as he looked at her.

‘I’ve been too critical and too judgemental of you.

I should have realised that you only did what you did because you wanted to find out the truth.

But when you made me promise not to tell anyone, I felt you made me part of the deception.

I should have seen the whole picture, but instead I only saw it from my own point of view.

I was really angry with myself for my holier-than-thou attitude. As if I never make mistakes.’

‘Oh please, Pierce, don’t be so hard on yourself,’ Claire pleaded. ‘I see now how you must have felt and I don’t blame you at all.’

‘That makes me very happy,’ he said with a fond smile. ‘I’ve been kicking myself for being such a stick-in-the-mud. Your quest had to be completed before you could tell anyone. It’s such a fascinating story. I mean, the twin brothers – the row, the falling-out?—’

‘But there is something I have to tell you,’ she interrupted.

She knew she had promised to keep the identity of the rightful heir of Magnolia Manor secret, but she had to tell Pierce everything.

If she didn’t, what hope did they have? ‘Technically, my brother is heir to Magnolia Manor. As my great-grandfather was born first. But we don’t want to claim our inheritance. ’

‘So you’re not going to say anything about that?’ Pierce asked.

‘No. We have decided not to tell anyone about that, except you, of course. I just can’t lie to you any more,’ Claire said. ‘I have to be honest with you from now on.’

‘Oh,’ Pierce said with a worried look in his eyes. ‘Well, as touched as I am that you’ve told me everything, including the bit about the rightful heir, it might be too late. That’s what I wanted to tell you.’

Confused, Claire stared at him. ‘Too late? What do you mean? Have you been talking about all this to someone?’

‘Yes. Hugh. Your ex.’ Pierce hung his head.

‘It was a while ago, when he was here. The day after the St Patrick’s Day party in the pub.

I bumped into him in the street and he started telling me about you and your real name and all that.

So I said I already knew. He looked a bit disappointed but then he was trying to upset me, smirking like he was the only one who knew you.

We argued. I mentioned your great-grandfather and what you said about Caroline.

I said you were probably the heir to the manor and he’d get nothing now you were divorced. ’

‘Oh no.’ Claire couldn’t look Pierce in the eye.

‘He seemed upset,’ Pierce confessed. ‘I was trying to annoy him.’

‘But you had no reason to believe I’m heir to the manor?’

‘Not really, but…’ Pierce went on, pausing, seeming upset and hesitant to go on.

‘Remember I said I was going to do a little research of my own? I found the original birth records in town when Jo was doing research in the library recently. It didn’t say who was born first, but I kind of guessed it.

Then, when I talked to Hugh, I wanted to hit him with something that would really hurt, so I said I knew all this. ’

‘Oh,’ Claire said, slightly shocked.

‘I didn’t see Hugh again after that.’ Pierce drew breath, looking at Claire with regret. ‘I was thinking about all this tonight and I thought I should tell you how much I riled him up. I’m really sorry, Claire. I hope it won’t cause any trouble. Perhaps he won’t dig anything up.’

‘It would be very like Hugh to keep digging,’ Claire said after a moment’s reflection.

She sighed deeply. ‘Oh, I’m so tired of all this.

Pierce, don’t worry. It would have come out sooner or later anyway, everything always does, somehow.

So can we forget about it for now? And maybe talk about you and me?

How we feel about each other and what we’re going to do about it and not even think about that system reset stuff? Can we do that, do you think?’

He took her hand. ‘You’re not upset with me?’

‘I’d be a hypocrite to be upset with you, Pierce. My lies have put everything at risk here. I was only trying to do the right thing, and so were you.’

Pierce nodded. ‘You’re right. I have to confess that the main reason I wanted to meet you tonight was that I’ve missed you so much.

The thing about your ex was just an excuse.

Claire, I’ve been so stupid and cowardly and not very understanding of your situation.

And I should tell you that I had a serious talk with Jo before she left and told her that I have the right to have a life and that everything is not about her.

One day she will go out into the world to have her own life, and then I’ll be all alone.

I asked her if she had thought about that. ’

‘Oh,’ Claire said, taken aback. ‘What did she say?’

‘She sulked for a while but then she thought for a bit and said it was fair enough and that she liked you. She also said it was okay for us keep dating.’

‘That’s good to hear,’ Claire said, beginning to feel much brighter. ‘I like her too.’

‘I’m very pleased to hear that.’

Claire touched his face. ‘And I like you, too, so much. I’ve missed you terribly.’

‘Why?’ he asked softly.

‘Because I fancy you like mad,’ she whispered.

‘Yeah, well, that’s how I feel too. About you, I mean.

’ He swallowed. ‘You might guess that I’m not very good at this.

But that’s what I meant to say before you said it.

’ He leaned forward and took her hands, squeezing them tightly.

‘I think you’re a very beautiful woman. Your wild curly hair, your lovely eyes, your freckly face and your smile have turned my head ever since the first time I saw you.

I couldn’t imagine you’d fall for someone like me. ’

‘Someone like you?!’ Claire protested. ‘You have the loveliest eyes and a beautiful smile. Your kindness shines through everything you say and do. And you’re incredibly charming.’ She drew breath and stared back at him while he looked back at her in confusion.

‘Goodness,’ he finally said. ‘Wow. That was quite a lot to take in. But thank you. You have done a lot for my confidence in just a few seconds.’ He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. ‘You’re amazing,’ he whispered.

‘So are you.’ She took his face in her hands and looked into those deep blue eyes. ‘I’m so glad I came to Kerry.’

‘Me too.’ Then their lips met in a sweet kiss that went on for a long time.

Claire felt herself melt into his arms, pressed her face into the rough wool of his sweater and breathed in the smell of soap and sea air.

‘I want to stay here with you for a while and not worry about anything. I was getting too obsessed with the Fleury family feud and whatever caused it. But now that I know everything I want to let it go. No matter what happens with Hugh or my brother, I feel at peace.’

‘I think we all have peace at last,’ Pierce said and kissed the top of her head. ‘All thanks to you.’

‘More thanks to Auntie Rachel and her book,’ Claire said.

‘But you made it happen,’ Pierce said. ‘Because you’re a Fleury woman and they never give up.’

Claire looked up at him and smiled. ‘I’ll never give up on you either.’

‘We were meant to be together,’ Pierce said. ‘If that’s not too far-fetched.’

‘Not far-fetched at all. Auntie Rachel’s book brought me to you,’ Claire said. ‘I will always remember that.’

‘And I will always be grateful to her,’ Pierce said.

‘Oh, me too. For the rest of my life.’

‘Our life,’ Pierce said. ‘Because I feel this – us – is for good.’